Embezzling Suspect Disappears

The former business director of Valley Presbyterian Hospital in Van Nuys has been charged with embezzling $748,564 over the last two years, but authorities said Wednesday she is nowhere to be found.

Prosecutors charged Svetlana Bashkinov, 34, last month with one count of grand theft of more than $150,000, and she posted $20,000 bail. But the Pacific Palisades resident became the subject of a police search when she failed to show up for arraignment Monday at Van Nuys Superior Court.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Bill Ryder said Bashkinov submitted requests for refund checks from the hospital, then deposited the checks in credit union and bank accounts in her name and used some of the money to pay off her credit cards.

Bashkinov began taking the money about two weeks after she was hired in May 2000, Ryder said.

Bashkinov’s attorney, Keith Davidson, said his client did appear in court Monday morning, but she left when the arraignment was continued until the afternoon and never returned.

He said Wednesday that he did not know where she was.

Hospital officials said Bashkinov was responsible for the business office, as well as admissions and registration, which gave her access to $90 million in annual net revenue.

“When you’re responsible for billing and collection, a lot of money is passing through your hands,” said Hal Wurtzel, the hospital’s vice president for corporate development.

“Obviously, we were shocked. To the best of my knowledge, she seemed to be a good worker and well liked,” Wurtzel said.

The nonprofit community hospital has taken steps to correct the accounting problems that led to the alleged theft, and hospital attorneys have filed a civil suit against Bashkinov in Superior Court.

The hospital also sought and received a Superior Court order last month to freeze Bashkinov’s personal accounts, which allegedly contained a third of the stolen hospital funds, authorities said. Insurance will cover the difference, officials said.